Becoming a millionaire selling software...my theorie

[Lil Margin]

Why not settle for $100K? Or just a reasonable income doing something you enjoy.

Maybe because 1 Mill is more of a challenge

I think the more usual story is you work extremely hard and then you sell 2 copies =)

Lmao, maybe it was there first try or the product itself doesn't stand out.

minecraft is in opinion the rare story, rare diamond, that everyone slaps theirs forehead "ohpe! why did I not think of that?"

Indeed, i still cant understand why people love that game so much

[Anthony]

Oh my, I am actually going to reply here.

The only way to be a planned millionair

The way to make 1.000.000 dollars fast is to make a product and sell it for 25 dollars. Then go to the bank and say you will earn 1 million dollars and you can get a loan of 1.000.000 dollar. Buy all of your products and sell them to a second hand car dealer for 15 bucks. Then you would have about your 1.6 million dollars. Tell the bank you will pay the interrest but...whatever and buy a few homes to rent out. If you are lucky your tennant won't destroy the house (wich they will do) then you can pay the interrest if the tennant does pay the rent due to he isn't ripped of with some kind of good deal, you can pay off the loan and interrest and the bank is happy again. The question is; would the bank be patient enough to give you the time. If not then the bank conviscate everything you have and you are broke but have no worries at all as nothing matters anymore and your new hobo friends listen to your story about being a millionair sharing their wiskey with you.

Saving money is first and most important rule of business.
...
With using this simple rule, my money growing and growing

Even hobos can save again. The only one way to achieve being a millionair, especially in this economical time. Look at all those who had bought two/three homes without having any money or income and started renting them out.

[Adler1337]

Renting homes is not even close to being the best way of becoming a millionaire(it's millionaire btw). You really don't make that much money, there are a lot of costs, and you have to deal with people(not saying be antisocial, i mean if you watch any court show 90% of the cases involve renting). Making a hit iphone app seems to be one of the easiest ways to make a lot of money these days. There are a bunch of ways to make a ton of money, it just depends on which one you are willing to commit to. Also I think saving is very important. While you won't be able to get rich off of just saving, if you spend your money as fast as you get it you will never reach a million.

[Anthony]

(it's millionaire btw).

In my language it isn't : P oops it is too Hi five we share the same foreign language.

Maybe because 1 Mill is more of a challenge

Agree here but take into account that Bill Gates bank account doesn't make him happy. Millions of people hate him for that while the dude of the mac has people who loves him. Why, because Bill Gates has more money and the mac (cant remember his name, shame on me) didn't succeed but wants the same. The day I die will be a day I still don't know why that is.

all the stories i heard where people actually puted work into it they made around 500.000 and up

Ever seen it was true? Most people make things bigger but not their bank account. They feel they failed if they aren't rich. That much effort and that little gain. Yes maybe a nice home (mourtgage) and a car (loan). Some do have a vacation but that doesn't mean they are rich, they come by.


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It comes down to knowing what you are doing and how you handle the things that comes to you. Ever wondered why people get into the bussiness of clothhangers (how do you call it in English, those things you hang your clothes on in the closet). It's just how they handle things that comes down on their path. One other thing is, are you up to it mentally/physically to clear the job. Or do you only want money i.e. not seeking other things in live then just money and settle for less. Settle for less makes you richer as you know how to live. Some jobs take a certain intelligence while others only need just plain luck (right time and place). The latter goes for games in particular. To make commercial games you would need a lot of money/trickery to do some marketing upfront or you could write games for little kids and rip off their parents by just letting the kids push a button to get credits. While pushing that button money gets transfered from their parents their account to your account (==ripping, stealing or fraudlike practices, legal or not). Kids happy thus parent too, well for a short while. But to become a millionaire by that I doubt it. Okay America has a bigger market due to population size then my country.

Seeking to be one is a capability of never to be one, drop that and you have a change. It is kind of like a lotery ticket (like me). The change is just that small, propably even smaller, it's a mentally thing. Okay, giving the last years of the previous century more and more people where getting rich and o, how it has been proven it was not the way to go and still we didn't learn from that , printing non-existing money based on nothing (okay based on economy going down ). So try to think about how to get 10 dollar for the next month, then you have at least a piece of bread. Pesimistic or truth, see history 1800 around the waterloo and the following 100 years, please. It's your kids bread too.

There is no fast million. Has never existed and will never come. Those who came rich the last two/three decades will loose it all, watch my words for it. If you want to become a millionair you have to think about why you want to become just that. By a book how to become a millionaire and someone is just a few bucks closer to his goal. It ain't the buyer. Well, the seller isn't one either

Am so sorry that this topic make me that ichy. We are actually talking food here. And we all know fast food is not healthy.

While people keep holding up the appearance we are going to the right way, everything is dropping and we keep blowing air into bubbles to make it worse. Nothing goes up. The path we currently do follow tells us: wrong way, turn now while you can. Unfortunatly we keep following this path.

Trickery for cheap marketing:
Make a game that gives you feedback. Not meaning datamining, that's evil. Let people build their game, you only set some things (goal, ambiance) in the game world and you watch what people do, a lot will do just nothing but sitting there. Then you can build your gamedoc around that and release a new game. This time we live in is called internet (I don't know why it is magic but hey, it is). You sh(c)ould build a forum around your marketing game to get feedback about what people want in the game wich they can't achieve building themselve. Build another game based on what you see in the marketing game. Build the usual forum to get feedback particular about your second game. And yes build forum where you are the huge fan while keeping it entirly away from your business. Make people hack (not crack) your game - release sourcecode to be compiled by your game - so you have even a big big big team working for you all for free. Just select a few things you think that would coop with what you have seen in the marketing game. Keep your team happy ofcourse, they're free workforce. From time to time release tools - by your company or by the not-company team so people can truly do things.

Advertising, do or don't:
While advertising can make your name out their, you could over do it. Ever seen huge campains about a company and everyone talk about them but after a while can nowhere be found? Bad example of marketing, it costs millions and then they fail. Microsoft (good or bad) didn't advertise that much but is one of the biggest compenies in the world. Same goes for Levi Straus, never dryed up after stopping advertising. Fast gain means loosing it fast too but more. Greed is root of almost all evil and will be returned. Try it, if your 21+ and used to drink now and then, buy two bottles of the same wine. One day you drink one bottle in 10 to 15 minutes and you get really drunk as you where never before. But you sober up quit fast. Then a week later, drink the other bottle in about an hour. Yes you get drunk again but less. However it lasts longer and you have way more fun. It is just a law of nature you can't escape . (disclaimer: watch it with alcohol, only do this if you know what alcohol is and you are adjusted to it. You can end up in coma by it if you never drink. Don't use hard - 15%+ - liquor for this)

My conclusion: Yes, I do want to become a millionair. And I wish the same for you all too.

[kazymjir]

Become drug dealer, and later create your own cartel.

Start with weed - according to Poland prices:
buying 10 grams costs about $70
selling 1 gram costs about $10
and you gain $30!
also, you call sell not per 1gram, but per 0.25g,
which costs $3.5, and you gain $70 !

You can always grow weed by yourself.
Seeds are very cheap and can buy legally via Net.
Some species, like "White Russian Automatic" grow in 2-3 months and are easy in growing (they are auto-flowering).
All you need is build grow-box and water them one time per week.
In home conditions, you can get from 70 to 200 grams from White Russian.
Selling by 10 grams, you can gain from $70 to $200 from one plant.

Later you can invest money, hire chemist and open lab.
Amphetamine, GHB, methcathinone and many other drugs are easy in synthesis using home-available chemicals.

Your money is growing up, so you can go into real business:
cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine
In Poland, we have something called "Polish Heroine", or other name "Compote": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_heroin ,
it's more easier to synthesis than white heroin from Cuba or Afghanistan.

But there may be complications - this is serious business.
Organized criminal groups do not like competition, so you need to hire goons. And create organized criminal group.
You will start doing real money, instead of trading with dopers and street-dealers, you will be making business with high persons from criminal world.
At this stage you should have more than one million on account.


Okay, talking seriously:
Anthony said many good things.
But, if you want make millions on software alone, this will be very, very, very hard.
Look at ID Software, they are group of professionals who make very, very good games, which require really high skills in programming, graphics, music, but also in marketing.
Additionally, today we have really high piracy level, so don't be surprised when you make good game, and after selling 100 copies (or even less) you will found your game on The Pirate Bay

[Bate]

I'm gonna invoke a different angle here. Why is it so important to earn absurdly large amounts of money in the first place? There's only a thin line between ambition and manic fixation.

"Das Geld, das man besitzt, ist das Mittel zur Freiheit, dasjenige, dem man nachjagt, das Mittel zur Knechtschaft."
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Loosely translated:
"The money you own is the means of freedom, the money you chase is the means of slavery."

[kazymjir]

Bate is talking very good.

I think it depends on person.
Most of people is chasing money. But some people not.

For example take me
I do not need lot of money. I need money only for food and bills, and of course, some pleasures, like new computer hardware, books or electronic stuff (I am very interested in programming uC's).
And this is everything I need. I don't need new sport car, huge house with pool and all this stuff that rich people have.
All I need is being happy. And I am being happy when I have motivation to coding (btw, my psychologist said I am high predisposed to workaholism ).
Programming is what I love - not need cars and villas, only code code and code
But I am not saying that I don't want more money. I want, but I am not chasing money. If I win lottery that will be great, but if not, nothing happen

[Lil Margin]

Personaly i was raised in a poor house(not africa poor but you know, below normal) and i did not have a father so my goals in life is to become rich and make sure my kids have me as there father with them.


ok i think its enough of personal stuff

Loosely translated:
"The money you own is the means of freedom, the money you chase is the means of slavery."

I agree with you

Become drug dealer, and later create your own cartel.

hahahahahaha

(cant remember his name, shame on me

You mean Steve Jobs ?

[Anthony]

Yes I did meant him, althoug as metaphore.

Be happy if you make enough to just live your live with a full stumic. Settle for less to give your kids a father too. They need you, as you know.

About renting out homes, it's a proven steady income. Although there is much more to it then that. Even when you own the building for the full 100% you have tenant(s) who wont pay their rent. You have to secure that and that will cost money by itself. Also you would need to take care for maintenance. That costs you on the long run a lot of money, you have to save that from the rent you receive. There goes the nice figure and only a bit can be counted as profit. Then something happens your didn't calculate in, there goes the profit. Okay that risk you have to make . editted(change to risk )

Just write your app - propably in your spare time - make a webstore wich is a very cheap way (reduce costs where you can and raise income where you can). If you're selling more then a few, seek for mass postal packages. Well America, there you really should have postal offices that gives you a discount when you send x amount of packages, it's secure income for them. Due get some legal advice somewhere about your terms of service. Copying them from someone else can cost you. And what to do if something goes wrong. One biggest tip, there is never a right or wrong only honest and dishonest in business. With both you can succeed and fail. The latter will loose all soon, mark my words.

If you're serious about gaming industry: Also lent your ear to teens, what do they want. 18 years is quite different then 15 years of age or twelve. Try to put (simple) education purposes into the games, that will make parents happy, as they pay for it. Violence in a game is okay as long as you keep it cartoonish so kids will distinquise phantasy from real <- big pointer IMHO. 18y.o. are or, already written of or, they just already know . Also a group who gets forgotten are the people who invented playing computer games, the 30 to 40 y.o. people. A lot of games can be played 'dead' and you win always. Focus on AI and change the branche, they have gotten lazy chasing the big buck fast and not getting there.

The good life is having fun, enjoying yourself. Most rich people don't get that, they are bored as hell they want to die with there drugs to keep them going. That's the other side of being rich, they are ashamed of it and do not show, they're sick and their kids live in hell.

Talking to people while sitting at a terras nipping your tea while you see your kids play on the grass, that gives you happiness, that is life. When your kid comes to you to show you his car or his drawing ugly as..., that is life. That will make you happy, ask your mother, she knows.

Ofcourse earning enough to eat, giving your kids a good education and a decent heated home. Castles are cold and hollow, you know they are loud when putting down a glass. The best (cheap) tea is better then champaign -> the bubbles will go to your head filling it with air, ending up thinking you need that big boat and then you drink another glass of champaign. A little boat without a cabin brings the same fun, maybe more. Yeah really more. Go to the lake and look at the real crappy small boats. Watch those people sailing of, they are happy.

Happyness can't be bought. The rich that are happy didn't buy it, they enjoy cheap tea or just plain water on a hot day while being in the sun. Playing golf or sitting in the park, it's the same.

[Lil Margin]

@Anthony

Everything you said is true and i totally agree.

But the get rich part in my case is not because i am not happy, if i make the money or not i will still be happy but its a personal goal i want to achieve


And instead of renting homes, renting cars can bring it more money but its a little more trickier cause they can crash fast
or renting taxi's which is also very good.

[loki1985]

anyway, the times when one man can earn big money by creating software are over. maybe there is an exception twice a decade, like the minecraft guy.

if you want more money than just a slightly-above-average salary, then your product needs to stick out. you want to sell a game for (just) 10 dollars per copy? then compare it with the games you can get on steam for 10 dollars, and think really hard if you could build a game that can rival them. in most cases i would say its not possible. maybe it is possible when investing 5 years. but in 5 years this fictive game will be pretty outdated.

ok, games might be a bad example. i think it is more possible to create a new and kind of revolutionary web service which might get you rich, things like meebo for example were built by initially only 2 technicians and 1 business person.

[Anthony]

Never said you aren't happy. It only sounded to me you want to escape poverty and get rich by an amount wich is actually small but difficult to achieve. Tried to tell you to reset your goal to something more likely to gain i.e. be someone. When will you be someone? When someone ask your kid: "Who is that guy?". And your kids tries to stand very tall and say out loud: "My dad.". As you told you wanted a father for your kid(s). Nothing more, just wishing you the best.

[Bate]

The good life is having fun, enjoying yourself.

That's the very definition of hedonism; and it's most definitely not reflecting everyone's ideology (fortunately).

[Anthony]

The good life is having fun, enjoying yourself.

That's the very definition of hedonism; and it's most definitely not reflecting everyone's ideology (fortunately).

Where did you read that? Think you have pulled my words completly out of context here. Put back in context and it is the oposite of hedonism.